The Art is in the Planning
by 2ofthesame
Summary: Rachel is know for making plans for everything. Sometimes they are good, some are silly. What happens when the biggest plan she ever makes is a total flop?  And when Santana and Quinn get involved she puts more than just her own life in jeapordy.
1. The Problem

A/N: Okay so here's my first fan fiction I've ever written. It was something that was rolling around in my head for a while. I have the story completed but I just wanted to post the first chapter and see how it goes. If you guys like the story, once it is completed I may continue the storyline because I have ideas about where it will go. Also, I'm using this story to tie up loose ends and questions I have, in my own little world that is my mind. It's pretty much and AU after second season.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show, characters or any music involved. If I did, I really wouldn't be using a fan fiction story to tie up loose ends that are annoying the **** out of me.

Rated T for some cussing, and some adult situations. No sexual situations, just a reference to one and no violence.

How all this happened I'll never know.

Of course I know how it all started. I knew enough about biology to know what caused me to be in my current position. I took biology and knew how the human body reproduced smaller half copies of themselves. Of course I knew that part. How I allowed myself to get involved in the reproduction cycle... That's what I couldn't understand.

To say the least the fact that I was embarrassed and felt stupid would be redundant. I spent nearly the whole 9 month gestational period thinking how stupid I was. I say nearly because it takes a few weeks to notice symptoms. Then a few more weeks for the denial to go away and reality to sit in. I was smarter than girls like Quinn, right? Apparently not...

Let me take you back to the start. All good stories deserve a good beginning as well as an end. The problem with this story is where to start. Everyone reading these words will know the basics of what happened to conceive this child. Boy meets girl, boy gives girl some line... Blah, blah, blah... Six weeks later I was sitting in the girl's bathroom with a small plastic pink and white test strip with its two lines.

I wasn't even lucky enough to have the excuse that I felt 'fat' like Quinn had. I had no self-esteem issues. As far as I cared at the moment I was happy with who I was. I didn't need some hormonal boy telling me that I was pretty while applying alcohol to get into my pants. I had sex with a boy of my own free will, no alcohol or compliments involved. All it took was a two weeks at a theater camp in upstate New York. After a two week romance, combined with acting and dancing, the endorphins of preforming on opening night, one thing lead to another... Everything I told Finn about waiting until I was 25 and a few Tony awards went out the preverbal window. I had sex with a boy, about my age, by the name of Alex... Maybe.

After I arrived home, I just tried to forget everything that happened that summer. The whole event was just something that happened. I was a teenager that was what I was supposed to do. It was time to get back into scholastic frame of mind. After a blissful summer, I had to get my reflexes back. I had slushies, exes, and bullies to avoid.

At that moment in my life, those things, Glee and preparing for my eventual Broadway career was what was important to me. But before my first report card was even sent out, everything that held priority in my life was completely rearranged.

Those two small signs on a pregnancy test told me I was no longer a child. An hour or two of reckless hormonal abandonment ruined every plan I had ever made.

Fast forward roughly 9 months later... And there I was. I, Rachel Berry, pregnant at 17... In labor, right in the middle of the school day. And there wasn't another soul on the face of this planet that knew about my predicament.

A/N: So that is chapter one. Maybe it will get you interested in what's to come. Let me know what you think about it. I realized there will be grammar errors and such. But this is a concept I've never seen done before and I wanted to try it out.


	2. Details

A/N It's short. But it explains some of the details. It's also the best place to cut it off. But I'm posting Chap. 3 right after this is posted. This will explain Rachel's reasoning.

Disclaimer: Okay.. I don't own it. I wouldn't live in a town full of holes if I did. It's all in fun.

How does one my size hide something as obvious as a pregnancy? I'm five foot two and never weighed more than 115 pounds in my life. And that was when I fell into the duck pond at the lake wearing a thick jacket. But hiding my pregnancy was the easy part. All it took was some planning and a wardrobe change that took place long before I was showing. I gave up my short skirts for baggy pants and tee shirts. I hated to see the skirts go, but... I was no longer a child. I didn't have the choice to dress the way I wanted any longer.

By the time I was showing, everyone was used to the new clothing and had stopped questioning me about it. Thankfully by the time my stomach started to poke out it was wintertime. That meant coats and sweat shirts could be used to cover everything up.

Morning sickness was never an issue. It always hit in the two hours I gave myself between waking up and going to school. Also, it hit like clockwork and ended exactly when it was supposed to.

With the help of Google, I was able to understand what was going on throughout my pregnancy. If they didn't want someone like me to have the ability to hide a pregnancy, honestly why did they put all that information out there so that I was able to know what was normal and what wasn't? Like I said, it was all way too easy.

Now you're probably asking yourself why I would hide something like this. I ask you, why not? Okay. The truth was, when I first found out what I wanted was to wait until the first trimester was finished. Why should I go and tell anyone, ruin my reputation or stress anyone out if this pregnancy was going to end in a miscarriage? Then when I hit the second trimester, I rationalized not telling anyone by saying to myself that there was no reason to if the child was born at that moment and couldn't make it. Why disappoint my dads? They would be disappointed if they found out, and then after they used to the idea, if the child was born and couldn't survive.

And how did I rationalize the third trimester? It was even easier. By the time I made it that far, and the child's odds of surviving if being born at that time were good... I was just way too embarrassed. I had let the whole thing go too far and telling anyone now would just end up being embarrassing.

I decided to that I could just deliver the baby on my own and drop it off at a hospital. We had Safe Haven laws in Ohio. As long as the child was under so many days, I could drop him or her off at any hospital, fire station or police station and that would be the end of it. I read in my history books that woman used to give birth in a field then go right back to working moments later. If they could do it, then why couldn't I? I would deliver this child, take it too a Safe Haven place and go on with my life and dreams just as planned. If anyone thought anything different, I could use the ambiguous excuse, "I have the flu..." I had only been ill once in my high school career, I was owed some credit.

And that, ladies and gentlemen was how I ended up, in my 4th period American History class trying to breathe through contractions and thinking of an excuse to get out of the building and home as soon as possible.


	3. Plan in Action

(A/N: A little longer then the last two chap. But the plot thickens. The part of the story in italic is to show things that happened outside of Rachel's point of view, which is why it jumps to 3rd person. These parts I feel are important to the story and needed to be seen. It will happen a second time, but not for a few more chapters.

Disclaimer: Still don't own it...)

I never expected to go into labor while as school. Of course I had made out several well thought plans as to what I would do if such a thing occurred. My extensive Google search had lead me to believe that the first labor and delivery took several hours. So if I went into labor during school hours, all I had to do was wait it out until the end of class and ditch the rest of the school day. Sounded simple enough, right?

And of course, everything went according to plan. I had noticed light pains throughout the day. Nothing I couldn't handle, and nothing I wasn't completely used to. After all, I was a 17 year old girl with an obviously well working reproductive system. These pains felt like nothing more than the cramps I got nearly every month since the time I had my first period just after my 12th birthday. The only main difference between those cramps and the ones I was experiencing at the moment was the fact that they came and went all day and were getting stronger.

At first I thought they were the faked contractions I read about. It wasn't until I sit down in my seat at the beginning of my American History class that I realized these weren't the fake contraction, they were real. Halfway through my class they were so strong that it took everything I had not to cry out. At one point I gripped onto my pencil so tightly that my thumb caused my pencil to break in half.

"Are you alright?" Tina asked, just as the latest contraction passed. "You look pale."

"Yes" I whispered back. "Just a stomach ache. The left over pasta in my dads' refrigerator must have been past its expiration date."

"Well past by the look on your face." Noah said from my left side. "You sure you're alright, Berry?"

"Yes, Noah, thank you."

I used the clock on the wall to time my contractions. They were now coming every 13 minutes. Trusty Google had informed me that it wasn't until the contractions were 10 minutes apart that I would have to head to a doctor so I wasn't very worried.

I had three more contractions before the class let out and I was able to rush out. 13 minutes apart... Last one 10 minutes ago. That meant I had three minutes to get to my car, wait out the next one and another 13 minutes to get home before another hit. I could do this... I thought to myself.

I hadn't counted on one thing stopping me from my class to my car. A loud mouthed, African American, jock by the name of Azimo with a slushy in his hand. I noticed his hand pull back the second he laid eyes on me. This was not something I wanted to deal with. I had three minutes to get the hell out of that building, not a second could be wasted getting over the shock of being slushied. I could feel tears in my eyes as panic started to creep in. I could NOT have a contraction in the crowed hallway of McKinley High School. If I did, my gig would be up.

Azimo must have seen the look on my face because instantly he dropped his hand, gave me a quick nod. Then, a second later Azimo slushied some poor freshman who was behind me. I couldn't help but waist a few seconds watching Azimo walk away. He gave me a look that said; don't mention it before walking quickly down the hallway out of sight.

I quickly gathered my bearing and raced outside into the student parking lot. I could feel the contraction building in my belly and going straight down my back, concentrating down my back. It felt like someone had a huge vice grip on my tailbone and just kept squeezing and squeezing. The more I tried to walk, the more it hurt. I tried pulling myself to my car using the others around me for support, until I got to the small pathway that separated the parking lot where I parked my car from where the seniors parked theirs. As I tried to cross it, the pain from the contraction got so bad that I fell to my knees and had to wait the latest one out. Once it was over, I stumbled to my feet. That's when I realized my pants were soaked.

I looked at my hand for a moment then realized I probably should get home, as soon as I could without breaking any traffic laws. I rushed as quickly as I could to my car and did just that.

_There was something Rachel missed in her panic to get home. _

_About 30 feet away, the girls' gym class was entering the tennis courts for that day's lesson. It was Santana Lopez who first noticed Rachel Berry stumbling across the senior parking lot to get to her car. Santana gestured to Quinn as Rachel fell to her knees for a moment. They watched as Rachel stood up, shock and confusion were unmistakable on her face. Then she rushed off, got into her car and speed off before either girl could do anything other than stare. _

_There was one thing that both girls knew about Rachel Berry. Achieving a perfect attendance record was almost as important to Rachel as achieving a solo. Miss Broadway wouldn't skip class unless she was near death. They both knew something was up with her, but neither wanted to admit to the other that they were worried about the midgets health. Santana shrugged it off, as did Quinn and they went back to their gym class. Both Santana and Quinn made plans to themselves to stop by Berry's house later on and see what was going on. _

_There was one main difference between the two girls. Quinn was more than willing to wait until after school to go by Rachel's house to check on the girl. Santana, always looking for a logical reason to skip, asked to be excused to go to the restroom and left almost immediately. That meant that Santana was only 10 minutes behind Rachel. But the Latina was willing to ignore and break a few traffic rules. _

_As soon as Rachel got home another contraction had started. Rachel had made it to the front steps of her house and set on the porch to wait it out until it passed. As strong as the ones before it, the worst part of the pain seemed to settle right on Rachel's tail bone. Rachel's hands grasped the front steps and she let her head fall back in with her eyes squeezed shut in agony. This was the fifth contraction that Rachel had since she left school and they weren't getting any lighter, if anything they were getting worse._

_Unknown to Rachel, Santana pulled up slowly just in time to see Rachel sit on the porch. Rachel let go of the step and hit her legs with her fists a few times. It was obvious to Santana that Rachel was doing everything that she could to block out a great deal of pain. But, before Santana could get out of her car to offer the other brunette help Rachel stood up and rushed inside the house. _


	4. The Breakdown

A/N Rachel's plan starts to fall apart.

Disclaimer: Why do I have to keep insisting that I do NOT own any of this stuff? We all know I don't.

I rushed into my house and slammed the door behind me. The first thing I noticed was the red light saying I had a voicemail message. I called up the voicemail to listen to it, while I stripped off my coat and sweatshirt. I was starting to feel like I was suffocating under all of the material. My Daddy informed me through the voicemail that he and Dad were having so much fun, that they were adding another week to their cruise. That meant for two weeks I was alone and had a better chance of achieving my goal of getting this child out of me and off to a good home and they would never know.

But after all the contractions I had been having, and the amount of pain I had been in I was starting to doubt my choice to do it the way I had planned. I left my coat and sweater on the floor to be picked up later when things were... Better. I got about halfway up the steps when the doorbell rang. I had thought about just ignoring it. My bedroom was soundproofed, whoever it was wouldn't have heard me from up there. But common sense made up for it. Whomever it was, had probably seen me walk in and I couldn't afford my father's getting a phone call from a nosey neighbor or someone calling the cops because I didn't answer my door. I climbed back down the stairs and opened the door; the person who stood on the other side of the door was the last person I ever expected to even ring my doorbell, let alone at this moment.

"Look..." Santana started. "I want to be here about as much as you want me to be here... So let's do this the easy way. You tell me why suddenly Miss Perfect Attendance Record is skipping school, on a Glee day. And I can leave."

I used to door to block my large belly from Santana's sight and looked behind me. My sweatshirt and jacket were too far to grab and use to cover up and the tight tank top I had on, made it obvious I was pregnant. "Why are you here?"

I peeked my head out to see if maybe Santana had brought some of her cheerleading buddies, maybe it was some kind of joke she was trying to play.

"Because..." Santana rolled her eyes. "Mr. Shue says we are some kind of..."

Santana held her fingers up into quotation marks. "Family, Man-hands..." Santana's voice dropped a few decibels lower and she lost her HBIC attitude for just a moment, as if she was trying to say she cared.

"There is something wrong with you... I want to know if I can help... Or whatever. I maybe a bitch, but family is family." Santana shrugged.

I almost smiled. "I assure you, Santana that everything is alright. I'm just not feeling well. I'm going to lie down for a little while and hopefully in a day or two everything will be back to normal."

"You want me to get you anything? I can bring by some soup or..."

I could feel a contraction building up in my back. It hadn't been 13 minutes yet. I tried to will it away, just for another minute or two. Long enough to get rid of Santana.

"Nope... No... Thank you for caring." I tried to shut the door.

Santana pushed her way into the house. "Not until you tell me what's going on."

I tried to block myself behind the door but the pain was too much.

"Mary, Jesus, Joseph and the fucking camel!" Santana exclaimed when she saw my belly.

"Please... Just go." I begged.

"Ain't gonna happen." Santana whipped out her phone. "You need to go to the hospital; you're in labor or something..."

I leaped for her phone. "NO!"

The phone flew from her hands and landed on the sofa. "What the fuck, Berry..."

"No hospital... No ambulance..." I said as the pain hit its peak and slowly started to go away.

"What?"

"Just go away..." I took a deep breath once the pain was to the level I could stand it. "I already have a plan. A well thought out plan that doesn't include a hospital. Nor does it include you. So if you would please be so kind as to leave so I can do this and get it over with..."

"Where are your dads'?" Santana put her hands on her hips.

"Somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean..." I said before I could stop myself.

"What are you going to do?" Santana looked at me in shock. "You're not going to just toss it in the trashcan, are you? Have it and toss it... Like that Prom Mom."

I looked at her in shock. "What? No! What kind of person do you think I am?'

"It would be kind of hypothetical of you... Being a vegan and all that bullshit."

I couldn't help but smile. "Critical... Hypocritical."

Santana rolled her eyes again. "Whatever..." There was a pause. "What's your plan?"

I sighed and sit down on the couch. "I was going to have the child and take it too the fire station down the road... Safe Haven laws. They would have to take it and ask no questions."

"Yea and what if something goes wrong?"

I shrugged. I never allowed myself to think about what could go wrong. I always assumed that I would cross that bridge if it ever came to it.

"I thought you had it all planned out."

I gestured to my stomach. "Does it look like I planned every aspect? You're here obviously... Seeing how you invited yourself in, you can see yourself out. And please... Can we keep this between ourselves? There is a reason I didn't tell anyone."

Instead of leaving Santana crossed in front of me and took a seat on the couch next to me. She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. "Please tell me your dads' left you some money. I ain't eating any of that vegan shit. If I'm going to stay here until you pop that kid out... I expect at least a pizza for my effort."

"I didn't ask you to stay, Santana. I'm fully capable of doing this by myself."

"Says the girl that gets knocked up and forgets to tell anyone... Anyway I didn't ask you if you wanted me to stay. But if you die there goes our chances at Nationals. And I could probably get arrested... Or something." Santana settled on some daytime talk show and her eyes never left the screen as she spoke.

"Anything I can say to get you to change your mind?"

Finally she looked at me. "Go to a hospital?"

"No"

"No." She started to watch the television again.

For the next few hours Santana and I try to ignore each other, until there is a contraction. Santana helped me to breathe through them until they passed, then went right back to ignoring me to watch the TV. I noticed that her being there with me made the pain more manageable. Santana's presence helped me concentrate on something other than pain. Her voice reassured me that everything will end up alright.

A little after five Santana said, "You know if you were in the hospital they could give you some kick ass painkillers."

"No, thank you... I'm doing well." I mumble as the contraction started to go away. "In the cookie jar on top of the counter there is some money. Feel free to order you a pizza anytime."

"I think I'll wait. The idea of having to be between your legs playing catch the baby is making my stomach turn."

"You're free to leave at any time..."

"I will when you go to the hospital."

"Won't happen."

There was pause. "I just realized I have my dad's softball glove in my car."

I looked at Santana confused. "What?"

"To like... I don't know... Catch it when it comes out. What if it shoots out and we don't have anything to catch it in?"

"I don't... Think it works that way..."

Santana shrugged. "I'm just channeling Brit anyway. This worrying and shit... It's turned my higher brain function off."

"You're worried about me?"

Santana crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't get used to it, Berry... Like I said... Nationals."

I smiled softly and nod. "Alright... Well thank you for being there. I think you're making this easier."

"I do what I can..."

Another contraction started to build up and Santana grabbed my hand. Again I concentrate on her voice as it told me to breathe as the worst came and went. As the pain died down the doorbell rang.

"Do your dads have anyone check on you?"

I shook my head. "The think it's better if no one knows..."

"I'll get rid of them..."

Santana hopped over the couch and opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" I hear Santana ask.

"Santana?" I heard for the second time that day, a voice I never thought would ever be on my front steps.

(A/N: I'm sure you can guess who is on the other side of the door... )


	5. I Really Have No Name For This Chapter

(A/N: This takes place directly after, no jump. Think of it like a commerical break. This was just the best place to cut it. Hope you like.

Disclaimer: Nope... Don't own it.)

"Look... My dad works with her dad, alright? Her dad asked my dad to make me come by and stay with Berry while she's sick..."

"Really?" I can almost see Quinn cross her arms over her check and give Santana that raised eyebrow look.

"Yea... So don't like... Tell anyone else, or shit. Because I don't want it to get around school that I'm spending a few days babysitting the midget."

"Uh... Uh..."

The next thing I know, Quinn is was standing behind the couch, as I try to scramble to cover myself with the back of the couch so that it would block my stomach from Quinn's view.

"Okay... What's going on?" Quinn crossed her arms and gave me a look.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently. "My dads are away, I got some kind of bug and Santana was kind enough to..."

Quinn sighed. "Bull... Shit... The only thing Santana is kind enough to do is drug you so you won't bug her."

"Look, Tubbers, my dad is paying good money for this shit..."

Quinn turned her look to Santana. "I know for a fact there's not enough money in the world to convince you to stay here and put up with..."

The rest of whatever Quinn said is blocked out. The contraction that was building felt different. Pressure. Lots of pressure.

"Santana..." I mumbled. "Please Quinn... Just go."

"Not until I get some answers..." Quinn turned back toward me.

"Quinn..." I bit my lip trying not to moan. "Please, just get the hell out of my house. I'm not in the mood to..."

That was all I could get out. The pain the pressure. It was too much. I buried my face in the back of the couch and moaned. Santana was next to me in an instant.

"Breath, Rachel... Remember you got to breath." Santana rubbed my back, which did no good.

I wanted to scream as loud as I could, not really caring that I damaged my vocal cords. The pain was... Horrible!

"It's not too late..." Santana said. "I can still get you to a hospital."

I shook my head as tears came out of my eyes, I couldn't help it. The pain was just so much.

"Hospital?" Quinn asked. I had forgotten that she was even there. "If you're in that much pain, Rachel... Then..."

"No... No hospital... No doctors..." I mumbled into Santana's shoulder. "It'll pass."

"I'm calling 911..." Quinn mumbled.

"NO!" Both Santana and I said at the same time.

"She doesn't want to see a doctor..." Santana explained. "We know what's wrong... We've got this covered."

"What the hell is going on?" Quinn asks. "Rachel, at the very least they could give you something for pain..."

"Rachel..." Santana said softly. "You should tell her. She knows about this stuff. She can help."

"Knows what?"

I shook my head. "It's bad enough you found out... Please Quinn... Just leave."

"Rachel..." Santana sighed again. "She's been there, I haven't. I don't know what I'm doing..."

I sighed this time. I took a second to allow the pain and pressure to subside. Slowly I stood up, with Santana's help.

Quinn's mouth opened, then shut, then opened again.

"When did you... Who did you..." Quinn started to ask. "You... Wha.. Who..."

"All very reasonable questions, which have very logical answers. I'm just not ready to give them."

I sit down on the couch as Quinn stared at me, then at Santana, then back at me.

"Of all..." Quinn started to pace back and forth; she ran her hand through her hair. "The messed up... Stupid... Plans you have ever came up with. THIS..."

Quinn faced me and gestured her hands toward my stomach. "Has got to take the cake..."

Santana and I watched her start to pace again. "There is a reason women go to the hospital to have babies."

"Actually, delivering infants in a hospital setting is a fairly new concept... Women have been having them at home for..."

"And how many of those women ended up dying from some sort of infection or... Or bleeding to death." Quinn yelled at me, causing both Santana and I to jump.

"You're an idiot! Whatever brains you should have gotten must have been infused into your talent or something. This... Is just... STUPID!" Quinn kept pacing. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have a baby? You don't just... Hop back. There is stretching and ripping. Stiches... It takes weeks... And that's just before you can walk straight again. What are you thinking?"

"Getting back to my normal life without anyone knowing..." I said softly.

"What were you going to do? Keep it in your soundproof room so that no one will hear it crying while you were at school?"

"Take it too the fire station." I said. "You can drop them off, no questions asked."

"This is a child! Not a puppy. You can't just abandon it and hope for the best!"

"She wasn't abandoning her baby, Q... She was doing what she thought was best for her and the kid."

"You! How did you get involved in this in the first place?"

"Same reason you did. Came by to see what was wrong with her... I knew something was wrong, and I thought I could help."

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation because another contraction was building. This one was the same as the two before. Lots of pressure and there was this mistakable urge to push.

"Can you just help me go to my room, please?" I asked before the pain got so bad that I couldn't breathe.

"No! I'm taking you to the hospital." Quinn said.

I shook my head.

"Come on Rachel... Breath." Santana said, rubbing my arm.

"I am breathing..." I mumbled through my teeth. "Room, please..."

The last word was punctuated by a yell. I really couldn't help it. The pain was more than anything I had ever felt before in my life. I could feel the baby moving downwards a few agonizing inches during the last contraction. I knew it was coming soon, and even if I wanted too... I couldn't make it to a hospital in time. Right now, I just wanted to comfort of my room.

Obviously against her better judgment Quinn and Santana helped me up the stairs and into my room.

"Do you feel like pushing?" Quinn asked and I nodded. "Okay... This next contraction you are going to have to push, push as hard as you can? It's going to hurt more than anything you've ever felt but you got to do it..."

"Santana..." Santana's attention snapped to Quinn. "Help me get these pants off her."

"What? Why?"

"Where do you think the baby comes out at?"

Santana and Quinn helped me out of my pants. Quinn was behind me.

"Oh my god..." Santana whispered. "Is that... I see it..."

"Rachel... Push..." Quinn said.

I did as I was told.

"What do I do?" Santana asked her face as pale as I've ever seen it.

"Catch..."

I took a deep breath and pushed. I wasn't sure what I was pushing; I just pushed for all I was worth.

"It's coming..." Santana said.

I happened to glance down at Santana. If I hadn't been so terrified as well as in so much pain the sight of Santana, sitting on her knees looking like a baseball catcher would have made me laugh. In fact, looking back now... It does.

"Push, Rachel..." Quinn ordered, practically yelling in my ear. I made a mental note that if I lost my ear for perfect pitch that she and I would have words later. But at that moment that wasn't important.

I remember Santana listing off a string of Spanish words as I was pushing. The last thing I remember was one good push and my body feeling as if it was being ripped in two as well as turning inside out all at the same time. Santana set back, her eyes wide and in shock, mouth open. She looked at me, Quinn and back into her hands.

"Well?" Quinn asked.

"It's... It's..." Santana stuttered. "It's a girl..."

Seconds later there was a gasp and a high pitched cry filled the room.

"It's a girl..." Quinn said into my ear. Santana put the baby on my stomach and stood up.

I was in shock. All I could do was look at the tiny infant on my stomach. I barely noticed Santana standing up and pacing.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked Santana and I finally looked at her.

"No... I'm not alright!" Santana said, shaking her head. "You don't see shit like that and... Be alright. I just..."

Santana gestured with her hands. "I just... She just... That was..."

Santana rushed into my bathroom room. I could hear her vomiting into the toilet, but quickly turned my attention back to the little girl on my chest. She had stopped crying and sucking on her fist.

"Hi you..." Quinn said softly. Quinn's hand brushed against the baby's head, which was full of dark brown hair.

The baby opened her eyes, looked around and then closed them after blinking for a few times. I watched her, still amazed by what had just occurred. It wasn't until that moment that I realized what had been at stake the last 9 months. For the longest time all this child was to me was a large belly and a minor inconvenience. I had never allowed myself to think of her as anything other than that. It was a small bump on my path to inevitable stardom to be gotten rid of at the first available moment. Until that moment where she opened her eyes and looked around for Quinn's voice, I had never realized that she was... Real. A real life mini human. Who could hear and see. Quinn took a small blanket off of my bed and covered us up with it.

It was one of the few times in my whole life that I was ever completely speechless.

"Rachel?" Quinn asked.

"She's... So tiny." I whispered.

Again the baby opened her eyes and looked around. A little more interested than she was a few seconds ago. It was as if she was saying, "I know that voice... Where is it?"

There are only a few moments in my life where it seemed that time just stood still. The moment that Quinn helped me readjust the baby so that I could look into her face and our eyes met for just a few short seconds... That was the most amazing moment of my life.

"Hello..." I whispered.

The baby looked at me for a second, and then looked away. She blinked a few times then looked at me again. It was a process that repeated a few times as I stared at her. I could feel tears starting to fall down my face.

"What?" Quinn asked.

I hadn't realized I had said anything. I used my free hand to touch the baby's face. "I made this?"

Quinn looked at me confused. "That... Is usually the end result of a pregnancy, Rachel. What did you expect? Puppies?"

I shook my head and wiped my eyes with my shoulder. "I don't know. I didn't let myself think about it."

"Hey... Um..." Santana came out of my bathroom. "They aren't going to be able to be moved for a while now. I'm going to go to the store and get a few things. Diapers and... Yea..."

Santana handed Quinn some towels and left. I barely registered the door shutting downstairs.

Together we rapped the baby in the towels and Quinn helped me stand on wobbly legs. "We're going to put the baby on your bed and I'm going to help you take a shower. Trust me; you'll feel a lot better once you're cleaned off."

(A/N IT'S A GIRL! What do you think? The next chapter I have to go through and make sure there are as few errors as I can. I know I'll miss a bunch, but honestly I've always been better at math and science. Writing stories is my hobby and usually only done for fun. In the next one I will try my hand at humor.)


	6. You Got a Friend In Me

A/N: It's a short one. A little Faberry (FRIENDship) bonding time.

Disclaimer: Yea... Still don't own it. Really wishing I did, but I don't. This happens to be the next best thing. ))

Quinn was right; once I was out of the shower and cleaned up I did feel better. I was still tired and achy but I felt calmer. The only time Quinn left the bathroom was to bring in some cloths for me to put on once I was out. Then Quinn helped me to get dressed.

"Okay... So..." Quinn started after I was sitting on my bed, a few feet away from the baby. "I looked this stuff up on the internet, while you were in the shower..."

Quinn looked at her phone. "We have to tie off the cord... So do you have any kind of string and scissors in here?"

I stood up and walked to my desk.

"Will this do?" I asked, pulling out some thin gold cord I had used to glue a frame around a school project last year.

"I hope so..."

I grabbed a pair of scissors that were in the desk as well.

"Okay... Two inches away from her you tie it off..." I handed Quinn the cord and she shook her head. "I'm not touching it... You're kid you do this."

I pulled out some of the string and cut it with the scissors. I was about to uncover the baby on my bed when I realized there was another towel that covered a pile of what appeared to be raw hamburger meat. I immediately jumped off the bed and pointed.

"What is that?"

"It's called a placenta... It attached your baby too you. She doesn't need it that's why you cut the cord..."

"No... No... No... That... When did that..." I tried looking at it and then had to look away. "That came out of me?"

"At some point... Just... You're going to have to... Detach it."

I covered it back up and tried not to think about what was under the towel again. This time I uncovered the baby and looked at the cord that was attached to her belly.

"Two inches." Quinn reminded me.

I put the string I had cut under the baby's cord and put it around what I guessed was two inches. But before I could tie off the umbilical cord I stopped.

"What is two inches? What if I do it too close? Or too far away? Does it have to be exactly two inches?"

"The site says, about two inches. I don't think it's an exact measurement, Rachel."

I started again, but before I could completely tie off the rope I had to stop. "I would feel a lot better if we measured out two inches, Quinn. That way..."

"Rachel... Just tie the damn cord off before the baby bleeds to death or something!" Quinn snapped.

"Okay!" I snapped back.

As easily as I could, I eased the gold cord about two inches from the baby's belly and securely knotted it around the umbilical cord. "Okay... Now what?"

"Cut the cord just above the knot." Quinn said, looking at her phone.

"With what? These?" I gestured to the scissors I had just used to cut the gold string.

"Yes..."

"What if they are dirty or I cut something that will poison her or something?"

"You just used them to cut the string you just used to tie off the cord, Rachel. Cut the cord."

I did as Quinn directed. I nearly threw up at the sound the scissors made as it sliced through the cord.

Quinn held out a trash sack and I tossed the placenta, towel and all into it. "I'll take this outside and put it in the dumpster before it starts to smell or something..." Quinn informed me. "Wrap her back up before she gets cold..."

"And they say I'm the bossy one." I said to the baby as I covered her with a clean towel.

I picked up the baby and looked into her face. Together we crossed my room to sit on a chair in the corner. It was the first time I could look right into her face. She had beautiful dark brown hair that was still stuck to her head in little curls. Her face was small, but looked exactly like pictures of me that my dads had taken just after my birth.

"You're going to have my nose." I said softly. "But don't worry. It's a good nose. You're going to want to get that fix, but don't... No matter how much you want to. It won't be worth it."

The baby opened her eyes to look around and that's when I noticed she had dark blue eyes. It was a beautiful shade of the darkest blue I had never seen another in another person's eyes before. I knew that in a few short hours, I would never see her again and all I wanted to do was memorize every tiny detail of her face. Even though she was going to change dramatically throughout the next several years... I wanted to make sure that nothing was lost. Not a single red mark on her face or wrinkle, not even the tiny little ringlets of nearly black hair that stuck to her head. Something inside me HAD to memorize all the smallest details, because it wouldn't be too long before these memories were all I had to go on.

There wouldn't be a thousand pictures taken of her to help spark forgotten memories of her. There would only be one, inside my head, where no one else could see it. I would never know her name, or what she was like. So of all the things I would ever do and all the memories I would ever make... This would end up being the one memory I couldn't afford to lose.

At some point, I drifted off to sleep. I woke up in my chair a few hours later without the baby in my arms. At first I thought that it was a dream. Everything had been some kind of weird dream. There was no baby, I had never been pregnant. Neither Quinn, nor Santana had been over here and helped me deliver that baby. It was all just some weird dream that my brain had put together for some odd reason.

That was until I stood up. When Quinn said that you don't just bounce back from delivery truer words had never been spoken. My body was sore in places I couldn't imagine it being sore in.

I made my way downstairs.

"We were starting to think you would never wake up." Quinn said.

"Where's... uh?" I asked, pulling my hair out of my face.

"She's sleeping... On the couch. Why don't you try to eat something?" Quinn took my arm and led me to the kitchen. "Sit down. I cooked some rice and vegetable. It was the only thing I was sure was vegan. I hope you don't mind, but I knew you would be really hungry. You'll have to season them; honestly I wasn't sure what you eat. I know that being Jewish you probably eat different food. So... Um... Here"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked, softly. Quinn sighed and sits down across from me after placing a plate of food in front of me. Truth was I was starving, I hadn't felt this hungry in all my memories, but I was just a little more interested in Quinn's answer then eating at the moment.

"I know what it's like to have to carry around that little secret. To know that your whole world is crashing down around you and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

"But you had Finn, then Puck and Mercedes. You weren't alone." I picked up a fork and started to eat.

"No one understood what I was going through. The fear... The embarrassment. Why didn't you say anything? They would have been there for you too."

"Remember what you said to me? When I told you that Glee Club would be all you had when word of your pregnancy got out? If the roles were reversed... You would have tortured me." I replied, after swallowing the food that was in my mouth. "That was the last thing I wanted. From you, Santana... From anyone. I didn't want anyone to know what I had done. I wanted things to go back to the way they were 8 months ago before I knew anything else."

"Things are changed now, we've changed."

I shook my head. "You would have treated me differently. There would have been worse nick names... Comments about the baby, opinions and advice. I just didn't want anything to change because of one stupid hormonal action. I had gotten myself into the mess; I was going to get myself out of it."

There was a long stretch of silence while I ate and Quinn sit there quietly.

"Who's the father?"

I shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. It was just... I allowed myself to get caught up in a summer romance while at a summer camp. It was something I wouldn't normally do, but it just happened. I don't even remember that much about it. His name might have been Alex. I really just don't remember anything other than just feeling really disgusted with myself afterwards and blocking it out of my mind. Although, I do have to state that I understand you a little bit more than I had before this. Why you made the choices that you made with Noah. And I do feel bad for judging you for that mistake and any of the choices you made during that time. I'm sorry you had to go through this, I can't imagine it being any easier even with some sort of help."

I focused on the food in front of me but heard Quinn smirk.

"You really are a piece of work, Rachel Berry."

I covered my full mouth with my hand and mumbled, "Excuse me?"

"You just had to go through the hardest 9 months of your life, not to mention what will amount to pain that all future pain will be measured against for several hours... And because of the way we've treated you, we left you feeling like you had to go through all of it totally alone... And you are apologizing to me for being judgmental? If anything, your opinion would be the only one that mattered at the moment."

Before I could reply to anything that Quinn said the front door opened.

"Ay mi Dios..." I heard Santana say from the front door. "Tubbers! I need help!"

Quinn and I stood up and went into the living room. Santana had no more than five bags and two large boxes under her arms.

"What is all this?" Quinn asked a smile on her face.

"Well... I had to tell the store lady that I needed stuff for a new baby. My sister had a kid and had nothing for it." Santana dropped everything to the floor. "I kind of panicked."

Santana shrugged.

"Come on, there's more."

"There's more?"

Santana nodded like it was one of the dumbest questions Quinn could have asked. "Well, I told the lady I wanted diapers and there was this huge wall of baby things. So I was looking at all this other stuff and it all looked like it would make the next few days a little easier and before I knew it... I spent a small fortune."

"Santana... I don't know if I can pay you back for all of... This." I said gesturing to the large pile already on the floor.

"Don't worry about it... My daddy thinks that he can make up for working all the time by tossing large amounts of cash my way. He'll never notice." Santana opened the door and as she and Quinn exited out she turned back toward me. "See if you can't put that thing together."


	7. What's In A Name?

(A/N: The baby gets a name here. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to let me know.

Disclaimer: I'm running out of scarcastic ways of saying I don't own this or the vast majority of these charaters.))

I bent down to pick up a box that Santana pointed at as she and Quinn went out the front door. On the box was a pink chair looking thing, looked simple enough. I pulled out the contraction and looked over the instructions for a moment. By the time that Santana and Quinn came back into the house, I had the wire parts together, trying to fit some kind of fabric over it. I had enough experiences with knee socks that I managed to get the fabric over the wire without much fuss. I sit back and pushed the chair down in the middle to see if I had gotten it together correctly. It went down a few inches and sprang back. The chair itself was basically just a wire frame with the fabric making a sling like some kind of hammock for the baby to lie in. Just as Quinn and Santana came back in, both carrying handfuls of sacks and Santana carrying a car seat, I had attached the small wire holding several pink toys over the chair.

"Okay, so the lady at the store said that you need one of these to put the mini diva in the car to take her anywhere..." Santana flipped the car seat around to look at it. "I'm not sure how it works though."

Santana set it next to the door. "Whatever..."

"Santana..." Quinn said softly. "We're just keeping her here for a few days... Remember Rachel wants to take her to the fire station..."

"Yea, well we've got a few days before either one can do that. I just made sure those days are as easy as it can get." Santana sit on the couch. "We gotta boil those bottles before we can feed her though."

Quinn rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen.

"Thank you for all of this, Santana."

Santana shrugged. "I like shopping, sue me."

Once Quinn had set a pot of water to boil she picked up a pack of diapers. "These are size fives..."

"Yea, there was like 6 different sizes. I didn't know which to get so I bought one of each. The lady said those won't make a rash on her."

Santana picked up the package of diapers and opened it. "These are the smallest."

Santana opened the package and tossed a diaper at me. The small diaper had a P as well as other small designs all over it. I looked the diaper over a few seconds. There were tabs with a small strip of Velcro. I flipped it over a few time and looked at Quinn and Santana.

"Um... I've never changed a diaper before." I confessed.

"How hard can it be?" Quinn asked. Santana removed another diaper from the pack and looked it over.

Quinn and I knelt in front of the baby, who was still asleep on the couch still covered in a towel. Quinn took the diaper from me and looked at it, then the baby, then at the diaper again. It was obvious that Quinn was as confused about how to put the diaper on as I was.

"Okay... Hold on!" Santana explained suddenly. "I gots this figured out."

Santana knelt in front of the baby, causing Quinn and I to have to scoot over to give her a chance to get the baby's diaper on her bottom. Santana took the towel off the baby. She made a few movements toward the baby but backed off.

"It's really easy... See you just..." Santana opened the diaper and flipped it one way, then another. "It's just..."

Suddenly the baby started to pee; shooting urine out further than I ever guessed was possible for a baby girl to do so. All three of us screamed and Santana put the diaper over the baby. The baby started crying and Quinn covered her with the towel once more and picked her up.

"That's it... I'm callin Britts." Santana said, firmly. She removed her phone from her pocket.

"What? No!" I said.

"Look, she's baby sit before. She would know this stuff."

Before I could, Quinn asked the question we both were thinking. "Who would leave Brittany with a baby?"

"Her sister had like three kids. She's got this packed down." Santana put the phone to her ear. "Besides, we can convince her it's like some kind of doll or something. She won't say anything to anyone."

A few seconds later and before I could stop her, Santana turned her back toward Quinn and I to talk into the phone. "Hey B. I need you to get over here to Berry's ASAP. We need your babysitting skills."

Brittany, only living a few blocks away, was at my house in no time. Brittany entered the house like there was nothing weird going on. I guess in her head it was totally normal for a small baby to be at my house. Santana handed Brittany a fresh diaper and gestured toward Quinn.

"Berry needs a lesson in how to put a diaper on a baby."

"Oh... Is that all?" Brittany took the baby from Quinn, laid her on the couch. Quinn and I watched in amazement as Brittany put a diaper on the baby like there was nothing too it.

"Oh she's a newbie!" Brittany squealed. "We need alcohol. We have to clean around her cord so it doesn't get infected."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yea and you have to make sure that nothing rubs against the cord until it falls off."

"It falls off?" I asked, I hadn't really thought about the cord.

"Yes, it's where your belly button comes from silly." Brittany rolled her eyes.

I stood over Brittany as she tended to the baby as if it was second nature to her. I honestly was amazed at the new side of Brittany that I would have never guessed existed. "Where is her soap. We can give her a bath."

Santana searched through a few bags before finding some bathing supplies for the baby.

Brittany headed toward the kitchen with the three of us fallowing her. Before she got to the kitchen she stopped and faced us. "What's her name?"

"Oh... Um..." I stuttered and looked at Quinn and Santana, at a loss for words. The idea of a name had never been addressed before now.

Brittany looked at us confused. "Did her mom forget to name her?"

"Yea..." Quinn said. "Something like that."

My mind raced to try and come up with a name.

"Leah." I said suddenly. I had always told everyone that I had gotten my name because my dads were huge Friends fans. The truth was that my name had come out of the bible. Jacobs's favorite wife. My dads had always told me how hard they had worked to have me. Just like Jacob had worked so hard for his wife. No one knew that I was their second chance at raising a baby. The first time after trying for several years my dads found a single mother who agreed to give her baby to them. But at the last moment the mother changed her mind. Several more years later they found Shelby and I was the result. Just like Jacob had to work for Rachel's father in the bible only to be tricked and deceived into marrying Leah... Then working 7 more years so he could have the woman he was truly in love with. It was truly one of the most romantic stories in the bible, and my fathers being a sucker for romance picked the name Rachel for me.

All three ex-cheerleaders looked at me with a bit of confusion. "I forgot it for a second there. But that's her name." I said firmly.

(A/N: And there's Brit. I hope I got her right, she'll be in more the next chapter. I didn't realize the Leah/Lea name until I was nearly done with the story. I didn't mean to do that, but I coudn't come up with another that would suit the story. So the baby's name won't get changed.)


	8. Hormones Are a BX&Xh!

(A/N: This is just really a filler chapter. Here for a laugh or two.

With Brittany's instructions, I was able to give my baby girl her first bath as Quinn worked on sanitizing Leah's bottles. If Brittany noticed the amount of blood being washed off the baby at the moment, she didn't comment. Her attention was back and forth between me, Quinn and Santana who was working on mixing formula. For being such a quiet baby the whole day suddenly Leah had started crying for all she was worth the moment the water touched her head. It wasn't until she was wrapped in a towel that she settled down.

The moment only lasted a few seconds before Leah started moving her head around, and crying all over again.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked Brittany, desperately.

Brittany looked at me as if that was the dumbest question I could have ever asked. "She's hungry."

After watching Brittany pour formula into a bottle and make sure the liquid wasn't too hot, Brittany took the baby from me and started to feed her. The three of us fallowed Brittany into the living room where she sit down and fed Leah as if there was nothing too it. Well, while watching her, there really wasn't all that much too it. Brittany taught me how to feed Leah and how to burp her so that the air didn't make Leah's belly hurt too much.

"...It's going to hurt a little bit because she's not used to eating yet. But in a few months she'll get the hang of it."

What surprised me about Brittany, there wasn't some kind of insane comment that I was used to hearing her say. Usually everything that came out of her mouth made me think she was a gullible idiot. I was caught off guard about how much she really knew. Of course, I had never spent much time with Brittany. When I had, I usually ignored whatever she said. She wasn't nearly as stupid as I first thought. At least not when it came to babies and their care. Even I had to admit, Brittany was invaluable at the moment. Once Leah was fed, burped and happily sleeping away in the small chair that I had put together earlier, Brittany even helped putting the other baby things that Santana had purchased together.

There wasn't much to put together. Mainly was a small bassinette that Santana and Quinn brought into the house. The most important part though, we had to learn how to dress Leah. Santana went over board by buying several tiny outfits. And all the outfits had several buttons that had to go just the right way. Without Brittany's help, the poor baby would have had to live in just a diaper. Before long Leah was dressed in a very cute hot pink with black pok-a-dots outfit with leggings, a matching headband and covers for her hands. Leah even had the cutest pair of black socks covering her feet.

"This is what I was talking about, Berry..." Santana commented. "On you, your cloths look silly. On your kid, it's cute."

Quinn and I looked at Santana with wide eyes. I looked at Brittany who was looking at Santana confused. "This is Rachel's baby?"

"Only for a little while," Quinn explained. "Then she'll go to a good family."

"Like a foster child? Is that why you weren't at Glee today? You're dads made you babysit?"

"Yep! They went on a trip and the baby happened to show up." I said quickly.

"Well that was nice of you. Even if you don't know what you're doing."

"Let's just say... Rachel didn't think things through." Quinn said softly.

"I had a well thought out plan..." I insisted.

"And obviously knew nothing about what you were planning for!" Quinn snapped at me.

Normally, I wouldn't allow myself to cry or get upset in front of these girls but I couldn't help it. Suddenly I started crying.

"Well, I'm sorry! I didn't ask you to interfere!"

"And what would have happened if we hadn't shown up?"

I picked up a pillow on the couch and cried into it.

I heard Quinn sigh and she knelt in front of me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Rachel, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to snap at you."

I pushed Quinn's hand away, stood up and stomped into the kitchen. I sit down on the chair hard; reminding me of the fact I had just delivered a baby a few hours ago. I was going to have to really lay off the diva attitude until I was healed in that area. I started to eat my rice and vegetables even though they were ice cold at that moment. I was just that hungry.

After I ate everything on my plate I rested my head on my arm. When I woke up my arm was asleep and the table had been cleared off. I stood up and went into the living. Brittany was sound asleep on the couch with Leah on her chest. Both of them had a blanket covering them, Leah sleeping on her side sleeping on Brittany's belly.

I could hear Santana and Quinn having a whispered discussion.

"I just think that buying all these baby things was a bad idea. Rachel's plans were to drop that baby off at the fire station as soon as humanly possible."

"Look... I just want her to know that she has options. You know how Rachel is. She probably made this plan from day one and never thought that maybe she has other options."

"And you know how she is with her plans. She sticks to them otherwise there's hell to pay... This is her life and we shouldn't have gotten involved."

"We did. We're involved now."

"And then what? You convince her to keep that baby and then what? It's like that dog you had your dad get for you. You'll get bored and find something else to do. Meanwhile... Rachel has learned to count on you for help and support and you won't be there."

Santana sighed, but didn't answer immediately. "This isn't like that?"

"Oh yea? How do you know?"

"I can't explain it, I just do. You were there... But you weren't. You didn't see things the way I did, alright? I picked her up and she was just limp and shit. I thought she was dead. Then she opened her eyes and looked right at me. I mean she looked at me and took a deep breath and she was alright. And I realized that I was the first person that ever got to hold her; I was the first thing she ever saw. It was me; I knew what she looked like before any of you could see her. That means something. At least to me it does. No matter what, that's something nobody can change." There was a long pause and a sniff. "And... You got to think things through. You were given so many chances to keep your baby. No one has given Rachel the chance to think that maybe keeping her baby is an option. I think that maybe she needs the chance to see that someone has her back. That her baby doesn't have to live the same life she did wondering if her own mother gave a shit about her... Or why her own mother didn't want her."

"If anything..." Santana continued. "If she comes and finds Rachel... At least Rachel as a really kick ass story to tell her later on."

I decided not to interrupt the conversation. I went back to the couch and gently picked up Leah, trying not to wake up Brittany. I sit down on the recliner gently and started rocking, while looking at the baby's face.

I started to doubt my choice. After everything the last few hours, could I give her up so easily like that? I looked around the living room with all the baby stuff scattered around. There were piles of folded cloths, blankets and socks scattered around. A bassinette stood by the fireplace, a pink jumper on the floor. Would keeping her be a good idea?

I looked back at Leah's face once more. Why was I so embarrassed to tell anyone? Since when did I ever care what people would have thought about me? My dad's wouldn't have been as hard on me as Quinn's father had been. My dad's had always taught me to embrace who I was; they never once tried to force me into something they wanted. Dancing classes and talent shows were my ideas. I couldn't count how many times one of my dads asked me if I was sure this or that was something I wanted. All they ever wanted was for me to be happy. What, in my right mind, made me think that this wouldn't have been the same way as every other thing I had done in my life? Sure, my dads' would have been upset... But it would have been a lot less than when they find out I hid the pregnancy all along. By the time of her arrival, my dads' would have gotten used to everything.

Leah started to wiggle in my arms; something inside me instantly knew it was about time for a feeding. It was just something I could tell by watching the way she started to move. Leah and I walked into the kitchen and I started to warm the formula that Santana had made just a few hours ago. I managed to get the bottle warmed, but we didn't make it back to the living room before Leah started giving a high pitched wail.

"Stop that..." I said softly. "You're going to wake Brittany."

Leah attached her mouth to the bottle like she was starving. I guess when your meals consist of 2 ounces of liquid at a time after a few hours any person would be starving. Santana and Quinn came into the main part of the living room.

"You're awake." Quinn said, still apprehensive about my earlier outburst.

"Yes... As Santana would say I gots this." I replied, watching Leah eat.

"I have to go home. My mom just texted me and told me that I've been here long enough." Quinn rolled her eyes. "I'll be by tomorrow before school to pick up a grocery list and bring Brittany some cloths."

Brittany shifted on the couch and mumbled something about unicorns and glitter, but stayed asleep.

I nodded, looking back down at Leah. I started to get an uneasy feeling about needing to say something.

"Quinn..." I looked up at her just as she turned around to face me. "Thank you. For everything. I'm sorry I snapped at you."

Quinn smiled. "Hormones are a bitch. I've been there, done that. Before you know it... You'll cry because a kid went to Chuck E. Cheese. First you'll think it's because you're so happy he made good grades. Then because he has a family who rewards him for working hard... Then... Because the little boy was lucky enough to get the part in the commercial."

There was a pause, then Quinn smiled grew. "And then you'll get mad because it's just a commercial and the company is toying with your emotions. This will end with you swearing off Chuck E. Cheese for the emotional turmoil. But knowing you... You'll probably applaud the amount of emotions they can pack into a 30 second spot."

I returned Quinn's smile. Quinn turned and left, shutting the door softly.

Quinn was right about the hormones. When Santana turned on the TV, a Kook-Aid commercial made me start crying because I was upset over who was going to clean up the broken brick wall he busted through.

Santana rolled her eyes and tried to make me feel better by saying, "Well... I'm pretty sure that whoever did it was paid really well for it. It's a multimillion dollar company. I'm sure they have a shit-load of cash to pay someone to clean up that mess."

I started crying harder.

"Now what?" Santana asked.

"Whomever." I mumbled, sniffing. "You said whoever. The subject is ambiguous so you would say whomever..."

Santana rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Ay mi dios!"

I don't know if she was worried about making the cry harder, but she was quiet for a few seconds. Then Santana tilted her head and asked. "Is that the difference? You say whom if there's no clue who the person is?"

I nodded. "Like if I was asking between you and Brittany about going to the store. I would say 'who is going...' But say I was you about putting in tiles in your kitchen. And there are 100's of companies. I would ask, 'Whom will you be using...' "

"Why can't they just tell us that in school?" Santana started flipping the TV channels.

"I'm sure they did, you just didn't listen."

"Or I skipped that day."

Santana and I watched some program on the discovery channel about ancient Greece. We took turns though out the night taking care of Leah's needs while Brittany slept on my couch. When I woke up the next morning, Brittany had already left for school. I carried Leah downstairs and Santana was in the kitchen dancing with music playing softly on the radio while making pan cakes.

"I was about to drag your ass down here." Santana mumbled as I put Leah into her seat on the counter. "Okay... So I don't know how well these will turn out. I used soy milk. But they smell just as good."

Santana set a plate full of warm pan cakes in front of me and a bottle of syrup. Suddenly I found myself starving. Santana and I ate pancakes while she went on and on about one thing or another. For the first time in my memory I was happy just sitting there listening and not saying a word.

"You're pretty cool when you keep your mouth shut, Berry..." Santana commented, stuffing her mouth with pancakes.

"I just have nothing to say that will contribute to the conversation." I informed her.

"Well... I noticed you have a Wii in the living room. Quinn brought over some lower impact games this morning. She said something about getting you up and moving around will help the healing process."

I moaned. "I've been moving around. Up the stairs, down the stairs..." I used my fork to put emphasis on what I was talking about. "Moving around hasn't been an issue."

"Have you, by any chance, been around Puck's mother?"

"What? Of course. We've attended Temple together as long as I can remember. She took care of me when my dads worked... Taught me about... Girl things."

"You totally sounded like a Jewish woman just now." Santana commented, smirking.

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

Suddenly the air in the room turned cold. Not in a literal way. There was obvious something Santana wanted to talk about but didn't know how to bring up the subject.

"When did you... Want to..." Santana reached over and took Leah's little fingers.

"Um..." I wanted to talk to her about the thoughts I had been having lately. But instead I just replied. "My dads will get home on the 15th."

"Well, spring vacation starts Monday. My dad wants to take 3 days at the lake house as a family. We'll be leaving Thursday and be back by Sunday."

"Then we'll do this Wednesdays." I said softly, quickly glancing at Leah still sleeping soundly in her jumper. "It will give us some time to say our good byes. I know that Brittany is attached. I don't want her hurting anymore then possible."

"We're all attached, Rachel. Even Quinn... She won't admit it to anyone."

I was silently hoping that Santana would bring up the subject of keeping her. To at the very least tell me it's a good idea. I didn't want to be the one to admit my flawless plan had flaws. I just needed a second party to tell me what I already knew in my head. I heard Santana sigh and stand up.

"Then we have five days to learn how to use that damn car seat. I'm not taking her in my car without one..." Santana said, not looking back at me.

She tossed a dish towel onto the counter and walked out of the kitchen quickly. I looked at my plate and set my fork down softly. I reached over and touched Leah's hand. Her perfect fingers spread out then locked around my finger. I watched as she laid there sleeping. Her eyes twitched, just barely opened for a few seconds and she drifted back to sleep.

Later that afternoon, Quinn rushed into the house with three large shopping bags. Quinn set the bags down on the floor by the kitchen door.

"Brittany is on her way... But we have bigger problems." She said quickly, wringing her hands.

"What?" Santana asked, with Leah settled on her legs.

"She told everyone in Glee club about the baby." Quinn gestured toward Leah and Santana.


	9. Noah Figures It Out

(A/N: To , Thank you for your review! It made my morning. As for the story, this one has another breakaway into 3rd person part so you can see what happened earlier.

Disclaimer: Nothing's changed between this one and the last one... Sorry)

"What?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.

"She didn't know... None of us told her not to tell anyone." Quinn said, quickly. "Anyway..."

_Quinn sat in the back of the room, like she normally did, right next to Finn. Slowly the rest of the Glee club slowly started to come in. Quinn talked to Tina about the fabric used on her dress, grateful for the mundaness of school to give her mind a break from the last two days. _

_Brittany came into the room smiling, like crazy. She pulled out a small one piece sleeper from her backpack. It was mainly white with lots several small rubber duckies all over it. _

_"I found this in the attic. I think it would look really cute on Leah." Brittany said, showing the small outfit to Quinn. "There was a ton of stuff, but this was my favorite. Cause see? Duckies!" _

_"Who's Leah?" Artie asked from his wheel chair. _

_"Oh... Rachel's baby!" Brittany exclaimed cheerfully, happy she was able to share news that no one else knew about. She instantly took out her phone pushed a few buttons and a few seconds later, phones all over the room started to chime, beep and ring all at one time. _

_"Wait... What?" Mr. Shue said from the front of the room, only over hearing the last part of the conversation. Quinn was trying to think quickly on how to counteract this mess, when her phone started vibrating in her pocket. She didn't even have time to think of the original problem before she realized that Brittany had just sent a picture of Leah to everyone's phone, giving Quinn a whole new set of problems to fix. The picture of Leah showed a very tired, pail Rachel sleeping just a few inches away. Brittany had placed a sleeping Leah next to Rachel to get a picture of them together an hours before she left for school. _

_"Rachel has a baby?" Tina asked, looking at Mike. _

_"It's just temporary." Brittany's smile fell a little. "She's going to a real family soon. I had to help because Rachel's fathers went on a cruise and Rachel didn't even know how to put on a diaper. Or make formula..."_

_Mr. Shue looked at his phone for a moment, and then pointed. "Brittany, are you sure that Rachel's fathers left Rachel with such a small baby like this? I would call that highly irresponsible of them. Especially one this small." _

_Brittany nodded. "Yes. Ask Quinn... Her, Santana and me were there all night." Brittany looked at Artie. "They had to call me because I have nieces and know this stuff. That's where Santana is now." _

_All eyes turned toward Quinn. _

_"Brittany. Rachel's fathers came home after you fell asleep." Quinn said softly. "It was only for a couple of hours." _

_Quinn looked around the room at everyone. "They had been taking care of that baby this whole time. And..."_

_Quinn had to try and think of what to say next. "Rachel told them to go out for a few hours... Not realizing what she was getting herself into. And instead of calling her fathers, who obviously needed a break, she called me, thinking I must know something... Well, Santana went with me... And we had to call Brittany."_

_Brittany looked up at Quinn confused, knowing that wasn't exactly what happened. Rachel had told Brittany that her fathers had taken a boat and wouldn't be back for several days. _

_Before Brittany could speak up, Mr. Shue started the meeting. _

"So they all think that she's just a foster child?" I asked, instantly feeling relief.

"Yes." Quinn nodded. "But... Don't be mad at her. She didn't know it was supposed to stay between us. And she's so happy because she found that little outfit for her."

"I'm not mad..." I said. Honestly I wasn't mad. I was actually pretty relived. I didn't have to come up with some kind of excuse for my absence now. Everyone thought I was just helping out my dads. Now, all I had to do was keep the rest of the glee club away from my dads from now until the end of time.

Brittany came bouncing into the house.

"Close your eyes." She said. I smiled and did so. "Hold out your hands."

After I held out my hands, Brittany put the small outfit in my hands and I opened my eyes. Even though I expected the little outfit, my heart swelled up when I actually looked at it. Just when I thought I had a handle on my emotions I started to cry again.

The smile fell from Brittany's face. "Don't be sad, Rachel. If you don't like it, we'll find something you do."

I shook my head. "No, Brittany... I love it. I'm crying because you made me very happy."

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, being very careful not to get tears on the jumper. I put my arms around Brittany's neck and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for being so sweet." I said, with a sniff.

When I pulled away, Brittany had a very confused look on her face.

"Rachel is just very tired, Brits..." Santana explained. "Remember when we saw that movie and you cried when the dog and cat finally made it home? It's kind of the same thing."

"Really?" Brittany asked me.

I nodded and sniffed once more. "Yea. Just like that. Let's see how this looks on her, shall we? It's wouldn't hurt Leah too much if we wake her up early. She sleeps too much already."

I took Brittany's hand and we walked over to Santana. I picked up Leah, who squirmed a little. Together Brittany and I took off the cloths she had and replaced it with the ducky jumper that Brittany brought over for her. Brittany squealed happily when she picked up Leah and got a full look of her in the little outfit.

Brittany walked around the room with Leah held out. Brittany told Leah how cute she was and how much more comfortable the jumper has to be compared to her other cloths. The idea that Brittany had a matching set at home came into my head about two seconds before Brittany actually told Leah that she did in fact own a set of Ducky pajamas. Only Brittany's were two pieces and blue. Brittany went on to explain to Leah, would was awake now and looking around the room, every set of ducky pajamas she's ever owned.

That night I made dinner for everyone. I felt a lot better than I had I even had a little bit of energy. Truth was I was getting restless and needed something to do. Walking was a bit of a chore, though. But not nearly as bad as it had been.

As soon as the four of us set at the table Santana made a comment about my vegan diet.

Suddenly I blurted out. "Did you ever stop to think your anger problem has something to do with all the hormones they shoot into all that meat you eat?"

Santana glared at me for a few seconds. "You're the one to talk about being a hormonal time bomb... Miss I'm crying because dude got a scholarship to ITT-Tech and made a better life for his family."

"Besides..." Santana said, gathering food with her fork. "I'm not the one with the anger problem. Everybody else is the one with the problem with my anger."

Quinn smirked and put a fork of food into her mouth. "Wow Rachel... This is good." She complimented after swallowing.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"What happened to your family being committed to take out?"

"I lied. I just didn't want to bake anything for that silly bake sale." I admitted.

We made small talk until the doorbell rang.

"What is this? Grand Central station?" Santana mumbled. "For someone whose parents doesn't want anyone to know she's gone, you sure do get a lot of company."

I stood up to answer the door, but before I could get too it Noah had already let himself in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

He shrugged, walked past me and into the kitchen like he owned the place. "I wanted to see the mini-Berry."

Noah walked over to Leah who was now asleep in her little sling chair. Without asking for permission first Noah quickly unbuckled Leah from her chair and picked her up.

"Puck... Be careful." Santana warned.

"You chicks act like just because I'm a guy... I don't know anything about babies." Noah put Leah into the crook of his arm. "Who do you think took care of my little sister when my old man ran out? And I got more cousins then I can count. When it comes to babies I got this shit packed."

Noah sit down in the chair I was just sitting in, looked at Leah's face. "My Ma's gonna be pissed when she finds out you kept this mini-diva top secret, Rach. You know how she gets with Jew babies."

I sighed and sit down across from Noah. "How did you know?"

"Give me credit... I'm not an idiot. Quinn gets that wild look in her eyes when she makes up a story. Brit sent picture of the kid and all I had to do was look at all those pictures Ma has of you when you were a baby." Noah shrugged. "All that... Plus you being gone for two days. And being with Quinn while she was in labor. It all added up."

I nodded. I've known Noah my whole life, I should have known he was smarter than he let on.

"So... What does Brit mean by its all temporary? Looks more like a forever thing with all the baby shit in your living room."

"We just needed a few things to last a few days." I explained. "Santana went overboard."

"What can I say? I have a mad shopping addiction." Santana mumbled, paying more attention to eating than anything else. "Baby things are cool to buy. It's all miniaturized and stuff."

"And you didn't tell you dads? Do they know about any of this?" I shook my head. "Woman... You are crazy. I don't mean that in a cool fun way like I used to. You're like mentally insane or something."

"Thank you!" Quinn said, loudly. "Finally someone agrees with me."

"How the hell did you three get mixed up in this shit?" Noah asked.

"Quinn and me..." Santana started. "We seen Berry skipping school... We both came by to see what's wrong with her. Britts got called cause neither of us knew anything about taking care of a mini human, especially one as new as that one."

Noah shook his head and Quinn decided to add a few things.

"Of course, Santana doesn't mention playing catcher." Quinn uses her hands like one would do to demonstrate a set of jaw.

"I wasn't that bad..." Santana mumbled.

"Please... You were a foot away! I mean what did you think she would shoot out like a cannon ball? You really should try out for catcher on the softball team; you've got it packed down."

I decided to add to the story. "She did offer to get a softball glove from her car."

"And let's hope she doesn't decide to make a career out of delivering babies, because it's bad enough as is. The last thing you need is a doctor that vomits after every delivery."

I started laughing, even though Santana was fuming across the table. "No... I'm sure Santana would get used to it after a while. I can hear her now though... 'Oh quit your bitching and push! I have to get my mack on!' Or... However she would say something to that effect."

Both Quinn and Noah were laughing and finally Noah shook his head. "No... I think you got it perfect."

To my surprise, Santana eventually started making jokes, even going as far as recreating an overly dramatic one person scene of Leah's birth from her point of view.

"...So I'm sitting there, with this baby in my hands. And... All I can think is, that's it... I am NEVER having sex again. It's like... It's all ruined for me. Sex with a guy is what got it there... And sex with a girl? Forget it..." Santana made a fake gagging motion. "From now on... Me, myself and I."

"Wait a minute." Brittany said suddenly. "Leah is Rachel's real baby? Not like a foster kid the stork dropped off. But like real, like Miss Holiday talked about?"

Suddenly the laughs stopped and we all just sort of looked at Brittany.

"You just barely figured that out, Brittany?" Quinn asked, as the last of a smile left her face. "We've been talking about this for an hour."

"Well... When my sister had her first baby... We threw a baby shower. Which at first I thought was really, really cruel. Dropping poor babies from the ceiling like that. But it turned out it was just a party. Like a birthday party, but before the baby comes. Cake and games. And lots of presents."

"Well, Rachel didn't tell anyone about her baby coming... So we didn't have time to arrange a baby shower." Santana said softly and slowly.

"We can still have one right? This one's even better because everyone will know to buy pink!"

"No, sweetie..." Quinn explained. "Rachel's not keeping her baby. Remember it's just temporary. She's going to give it to a nice home, with a family."

"Like you?" Quinn nodded. "But you didn't bring your baby home... You left yours in the nursery and we only got to see her though that window."

"Rachel had her baby at home. We're just waiting a few days until the baby and Rachel are strong enough to take it to the fire station."

"Oh... So that's where her new family works, right? I get it!"

"Yes!" Quinn said, quickly. "Leah's new family works at the fire station. Of course we can't go over and see her at any time. Her new family will want time to bond with her and we can't get in the middle of that."

Brittany looked at Quinn a little confused, but thankfully accepted Quinn's explanation. "When is she leaving?"

Everyone looked at me. "Wednesday." I said, softly.

"Oh... Well, you should take her in the little ducky outfit, I gave you. It's really cute and big on her so she'll have it for a little while."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Wouldn't you want that back... You wore it when you were a baby."

Brittany nodded. "Yea, it's old and I wasn't even sure it would have made it through the washer."

The humor had completely left the room at the moment.

As he was leaving, Noah told me to really think over the situation.

"Your dads love you, Rach. They'll be mad at first, hell... I'm mad. But they'll accept it. Quinn's dad was an over bearing asshole... Hypocrite, even. You're dads they're not like that. Give them some time and they'll be like all the other grandparents at Temple, bragging and showing off pictures to anyone who's gonna look at them."

"Thank you, Noah."

"I'm serious. You're not as alone in this as you think you are. You have your dads, me, Ma... Santana, Quinn, Brittany... The whole Glee club once you tell them. We got your back in this."

He pulled me into a tight hug and left.

(A/N: Some Puckelberry! I have some ideas on if I should keep this story going once it's done. There is only 3 more chapters after this one. Let me know in the reviews what you think about it. Including possible pairings. I left almost all pairings open.)


	10. Huston, We Have A Problem

The more I prayed for time to just stop it didn't. Wednesday came way too quickly for my liking. Tuesday night, Brittany started crying because she didn't want to say good bye to her new friend, but had too. I expected Santana to glare at me, but she didn't.

I didn't want to get rid of my baby, honestly. I just couldn't make myself say the words to do it. I kept telling myself that this was the best option. I was still a kid, whose life couldn't be shuffled around to fit in a child. And still being a child myself, how was I supposed to raise one?

At one point I had excused myself to go up too my room. I tried to make a list of the pros vs. cons about keeping Leah. It was a silly notion, but the list helped me see things more clearly. My lists were always a way of bringing my thoughts into focus. Sometimes my brain was such a world wind of thoughts and emotions the only way to really reel them in was to put them down in a neat and orderly fashion that only a pen and paper could provide.

There was a knock on my door and Quinn's voice from the other side asked, "Can I come in?"

"Yea..." I said, putting my pin down. I glanced at Leah sound asleep on my bed.

"How are you doing?" Quinn asked sitting across from Leah.

"Tell me I'm doing the right thing." I asked, not even trying to hide the desperation in my voice. "Tell... Tell me that she's better off with a real family and never knowing I even existed."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because, you know me... I'm loud and annoying. I'm weak and obsessive. I'm Treasure trail, man-hands, hobbit... And all those other names you called me. And she needs a family to counteract all those horrible traits that she's inherited from me. Tell me that giving her away is the best thing I can do for her and the rest of the world. Tell me why giving her away is the second best thing to being sterilized because I didn't listen to you when you told me to do it in the first place. Tell me that sticking to this stupid plan is the way to go"

Quinn shook her head, "I can't do that..."

"Why not? You always said things like that before without me asking for it. Why can't you just do it again, just to make this all a little easier?"

After taking a deep breath, Quinn spoke up. "Because... I'm not sure if it really the right thing to do."

"Excuse me?"

"I gave up Beth for reasons that are my very own. I had plans and dreams, none of that included having a baby."

"And I don't?"

"Do you want to keep her? Honestly?"

"Yes! Of course I do... But the plan was..."

"Rachel, screw your plan. Not everything goes according to plan. You're plan was ruined the moment you stumbled through the parking lot while in labor." Quinn paused. "Do you believe in God, Rachel?"

"Yes." I replied confused.

"We worship the same God, correct?" I nodded. "Do you believe that he has his own plan for you? And that even though you make plans, his plan will come first. And it all happens by twists and turns that irrupts all the plans you make?"

"Yes, but..."

"How do you know that all this isn't in God's plan? Do you really think that Santana and I just happened to be walking past the far tennis courts? Or that Santana just _happened _to bend down and tie her shoe strings and see you? Or that we both just happened to know that you wouldn't just skip school. Think about all the things that had to happen just so we would see you the moment we did. What if Santana had paused a minuet earlier? What if we had just happened to go into the first courts? What if your contraction hadn't had hit when it did and you made it too your car... What if you didn't go into labor when you did? Things could have been a lot different."

I nodded. "If Azimo hadn't had almost slushied me, I would have made it."

"See? How do you know that this baby wasn't meant for you to bring up? To show her how to do something only you can do? Maybe... Just maybe you're not the one meant to be a star, Rachel. Maybe your goal in life is to make sure that Leah gets put on the path that she's supposed to be put on and only you can lead her there. We both agree that God's work is mysterious and all we can do is just go with it."

"How do you know that giving your baby away to my mother was the right choice?"

"It all seemed to add up, to me. I happened to go to labor, even though my doctor said I most likely wouldn't. You just happened to find your mother, and then everything else happened so that you knew that she wanted a baby. It all added up so that you could tell her to meet with me because she wanted a baby, I had one to give her."

"She told you about that?"

"I knew. I know you, I had a problem, and Shelby had a problem... You knew how to fix both our problems. It just all seem to fit together so perfectly. I get to see Beth all the time. Shelby emails me video and pictures sometimes two or three times a week. Beth is a strong, healthy baby girl and I couldn't ask for a better outcome."

"I'm not sure I see how that applies to this situation, Quinn."

"Because, what you are doing... You're not going to have the chance to watch Leah grow up. You're not leaving her any way of finding out who you are. If you drop her off at that fire station tomorrow, there won't be adopted parents sending you emails and pictures. The chances are, you will NEVER see her again. I don't think that is fair for you or her. There will always be what if questions. If you keep her you will wonder what if you didn't. If you don't... There will be days that your arms will litteraly ache because you want to hold her so badly, just one last time. And then there will be days that you are so depressed all you can think about is tacking her down and taking her back. I can't stress how much you need to really think about what you are going to do."

Quinn got up and walked to my door and opened it, then turned back around. "I just want you to be really sure about one thing. Are you dropping her off tomorrow because you know that's the best outcome for her, or are you doing it because your pride won't allow you to admit that your whole plan was a total flop and failed miserably. Cause the way I see it... No one's going to be a better mother to that child then you would be. You have all the family and friends in the world to back you up in this."

I just nodded, unable to come up with a reply.

Just before Quinn left she turned back to face me. "Oh... Brittany wants you to bring down Leah so she can say good bye. Her family is leaving at 4 a.m. to see her grandparents over Spring break and she won't get another chance."

"Go ahead and take her, I'll be down in a few minutes."

Quinn picked Leah off the bed and exited the room. I took a few minutes to wash my face. I looked in the mirror. My face was pail and tired. But in my face I no longer could say I saw the old me anymore. It wasn't Rachel Berry... Future Broadway superstar. At that moment, I was just... Rachel Berry. The Jewish daughter of one of two gay men and Shelby Corcoran. Brown hair, Brown eyes, big Jewish nose... Those were the things about me that were ME. I wasn't a singer, just someone who could sing. I wasn't a dancer, just someone who could dance. Most importantly... I was Rachel Berry, 17 years old, mother of Leah "No middle name yet" Berry. Just like being my dads' and Shelby's daughter. Being Leah's mother was the one thing that would never change. I can always get contacts, spray on tan, dye my hair and get a nose job. But my relationships to my dads, mother and daughter could never be severed.

I walked slowly down the stairs, just as Brittany was about to leave. It nearly broke my heart seeing Brittany give Leah a kiss on the side of her little head and hand her back to Santana. When Brittany saw me, she put her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. Somehow I managed not to cry as when I saw the tears in Brittany's eyes. Brittany didn't say anything else, just turned around and walked out the door. Santana laid Leah down in her little bassinette. I heard her sniff.

When Quinn put a hand on her back Santana shrugged it off. "I'll be back..." Santana mumbled, quickly retreating out the back door.

Quinn and I sit down on the couch.

"Does it hurt you?" I asked.

"What?"

"Seeing other babies. Being here helping me with... Her. Does it hurt? I'm sorry if it brings up any past regrets... I never meant for any of this to happen."

"No. It used to. Seeing other moms with their babies. But I've come to terms and I feel like I made the right choice. Don't let your worry about my feelings crowed your judgment, here. Or if your're looking for someone else to place the blame on, it's not me. Leah is not Beth. I look at her and I see a totally different little girl."

I just simply nodded. My eyes started to water and this time there was no stopping the tears. I felt the couch shift and Quinn put her arm around my shoulders. "It's a hard choice, Rachel. There is not one part of this that is going to be easy."

I couldn't talk. My voice was too caught up in my emotions. All I could do was sit there and cry on Quinn's shoulder until I was exausted and fell into a restless sleep.

The next day came way too quickly for my liking. Before I really knew it, we had Leah in her car seat and buckled into Santana's car.

We had timed it so that Leah had just been fed and changed, so that she would have plenty of time to get somewhere before she got hungry or wet again and her discomfort was kept at a minimum level for the shortest amount of time.

We sat outside the fire station for a few minutes.

"Now what?" Santana asked.

"I take her in and drop her off. That's all there is too it..." I whispered. I looked into Leah's face. Leah was sleeping soundly in her car seat her head resting against a little u shaped pillow that supported her head.

Neither Santana nor Quinn rushed me. They let me sit there for at least an hour and a half trying to muster up the courage to do what I had planned all along.

Finally Quinn broke the silence. "Rachel... Sweetie. I don't want to rush you, but we fed her nearly two hours ago. She is going to need to be fed and changed again really soon... And we didn't bring anything with us."

I took a deep breath.

I moved my hands to unlatch the buckle that secured Leah into the car seat. I pushed the little red button down and the two parts unlatched. As quickly as they unlatched I pushed the buckles back in with a sigh.

"I can't do it... Take us home. I can't just leave her with some stranger and not know what happens to her. I'll deal with my dads when they get back from their cruise and figure it all out then. Right now I just want to take my daughter home."

I relaxed into the seat. It was the first time I had said the words my daughter out loud. And I liked the sound of the words. Leah was my daughter; mine and no one could change that. From that moment on I knew that I would go whatever distances and do anything it took for her. There wasn't a soul or a person around that was going to come between us, not now... Not ever. Leah was mine at least until she was 18 and a full grown adult. And beyond that, rather she liked it or not... She was STILL mine. Broadway, Tony Awards be damned. This little girl was going to be 10 times the talent I was. I was going to make sure of that. Jewish mothers always got their ways. I was going to give Ms. Puckerman a run for her money.


	11. The Daddys Berry

(A/N: One more chap after this one. Hope you enjoy so far. I haven't given Rachel's dads or Puck's mother names because the show hasn't done so.

Disclaimer: Don't own... Never did. After all my story has consistancy.)

We got back to my house I carried Leah into the house and wasted no time picking up the phone and calling Noah.

"You tell your mother that there is a new Jew baby. Tell her to let the spoiling commence and see if she can beat my dads for the favorite. Tell her that in a few years... We're going to be at war seeing who can make our children feel the guiltiest. And tell her that I picked up all of her tricks and made some up of my own. And you tell her that in a week that we are going to Temple and having a naming ceremony rather my dads are back or not." I finally took a breath and allowed Noah to speak.

"I knew you'd come around." I could see him grinning, just by the way he replied to me.

"Noah..."

"Yea?"

"If my dads aren't home... She's going to need a father figure to step in and preform the role at the naming ceremony. I would like for you to do that, if you don't mind. Now, I'm not asking you to be her father. I'm asking you just so the naming goes right and the prayers go through. It has to be absolutely perfect because we are going to need all the blessings we can get."

I turned around to look at Santana and Quinn and grinned. Noah and I said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone.

"Okay... We have about 5, maybe 10 minutes before a very irate Jewish woman walks through that front door. If I didn't need your help so much, I would give you the option of leaving, but I really need to have this place straightened up before she gets here. Quinn, Santana?"

"Sure thing... What are you going to do?"

"I can't have Leah meeting her sort of grandmother in a ducky outfit. As cute as it is, it will not suffice. There a beautiful little burgundy dress that I hung in the hallway closet. It would be perfect for the occasion. I'm saving the purple one for when she meets my dads. And the green one for Temple. Let's get to work!"

Suddenly I had all the energy in the world. More than I had in nearly a year. I had a lot of planning that needed to be done and I wasn't even sure where to start. But I knew a good place would be to get Leah to meet her Ms. Puckerman, who in all truth of the matter was going to fill the role of Grandmother perfectly. It really didn't matter if I wanted that or not.

I heard Quinn make the comment, "Now there's the Berry we all missed."

"Speak for yourself... I liked her better when she was depressed and quiet." Santana replied. When I looked back at her, the smile on her face told me she was joking.

I managed to get Leah into her dress and the white tights on her just mere seconds before Ms. Puckerman barreled through my front door. She completely ignored us as she came over and picked up Leah holding her up and kissing her face.

"You... Have some explaining to do..." Ms. Puckerman said, giving me a warning look.

When Ms. Puckerman turned to look at Leah again I nodded my head toward the front door.

Both Quinn and Santana were more than happy to leave the house and give me and Ms. Puckerman a chance to talk. Before she left, Santana gestured to her phone, to Ms. Puckerman, and then the door. It was her silent way of telling me to call her when she was gone.

I sit down in one of the recliners and told Ms. Puckerman the story of the past week and the 9 months prior to that, hoping that the lecture I was about to receive would end before my fathers came home.

Ms. Puckerman's lecture wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting. In fact she was happier to be holding a new baby in her arms. Even though we belonged to a small group in the Jewish community of Lima, Ohio, my dads were still outsiders being gay and having a child. We weren't completely ostracized from the Jewish community... But we weren't exactly welcomed with open arms either. For some odd reason, neither was Ms. Puckerman. I assumed that because the Jewish community was so small, a single mother with two children was a little weird. But our two families had combined at some point to take care of each other. She was the mom figure I needed, my dads became the father figures that Noah and his little sister needed.

It wasn't until the whole mess with Shelby the year before that I realized I always had a mother in Ms. Puckerman. Letting Shelby go was as easy as it had been because of Ms. Puckerman. I didn't need Shelby that was plain as the nose on my face. Of course I was going to ask Quinn to tell Shelby about Leah's birth at some point in the near future. Biologically Shelby was Leah's grandmother. But I already had it in my mind that Ms. Puckerman was going to be Leah's Nanna. If not by name, by heart. If there was one lesson to learn from last year, the fact that family is less about blood bonds; family is about all the people that love you and you love back.

Telling Ms. Puckerman was one thing. Telling my fathers? That was a whole new ordeal. I asked that I tell my fathers alone, which was the big mistake. Leah was nearly two whole weeks old by the time my dads came home from their trip. I probably should have told them over the phone and let them calm down before their arrival but I couldn't do it. The way I had handled the situation was bad enough. They didn't really need to hear they were actual grandfathers, not soon-to-be grandfathers, over the phone.

I spent the whole day of their arrival a nervous wreck. Even Leah could tell something was wrong, and was fidgety. As soon as they came into the house I met them in the living room.

"Dad... Daddy..." I said, trying to fake a smile.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked, seeing through my acting attempt.

"Okay..." I took Dad's suit case and sit it next to the door. "Why don't you and Daddy sit down on the couch and I will explain, everything."

Dad and Daddy watched me carefully as they made their way to the couch and sit down.

"Did you burn something? Kill someone? Have another of your parties?"

I paused to look at my dads. How they could equate a drunken party in our basement to burning something or killing someone?

"What? No!" I took a deep breath. This was a little harder than I ever thought it would be. I really wished I had asked Ms. Puckerman to stay and help me.

I sighed, "Don't move. I'll be right back."

I went into the kitchen and picked up Leah from her seat. "Here goes nothing, baby girl. Maybe if I'm holding you, they won't kill me. You're all cute and innocent..."

I heard Dad mention something about a puppy and rolled my eyes. If only it was that easy... A dog had less needs and a life span of 12 to 15 years. This... Was a lifetime.

"Ready?" Leah made a little sound. Unfortunately she was wide awake. That only meant she was a few minutes from being really loud annoying and about half as cute. "Just be good for a few more minutes. Win them over and we have this in the bag."

I have Leah's head a little kiss, she squirmed but settled down I reached into the seat and pulled out the pacifier that she had grown a love for. It matched the beautiful lavender dress I had picked out for the occasion. Leave it to Santana to accessorize even a baby's pacifiers. I checked her headband, it was straight and her pacifier was stuck to her mouth.

"It's now or never..." I walked into the living room.

"Who is this?" Daddy asked as I stepped forward so they could see Leah.

I sit in the chair, putting Leah in my lap. I had to make sure that my dads could see her at all times. As lousy as it sounded, using my daughter as a human shield, I knew that she would keep them calm enough so that we could have a civilized conversation that wouldn't resort to yelling. Even though, none of our previous discussions had gotten to the point we had yelled at each other the one we were about to have was nothing like any conversation we had ever had.

I proceeded to tell my dads about everything that had occurred since last summer. The boy, the pregnancy, my plans, labor and delivery… I left no detail out. I had gotten a lot of practice the past few days, though. Having to explain not only to Noah and his mother but to Mercedes, Kurt, Tina and Mr. Shue all at separate times though out the past week. As soon they got word that it was alright, Santana and Brittany told everyone else in Glee what had happened.

It seemed like as soon as one person had left, another person was about to show up with presents and demanding an explanation. By the time my dads had come home Leah had collected a massive amount of blankets, onesies and stuffed animals.

Even Finn and Mrs. Hummel had brought over Finn's old crib to be set up in my room for Leah to sleep in once she out grew her bassinette. Finn put the crib together while Mrs. Hummel and I talked about Leah. Mrs. Hummel explained how Finn made sure that the crib met all safety standards by taking measurements himself. Finn and Mr. Hummel had sanded the crib down and painted it light pink. They went three times to Lowe's because Finn wanted to make sure that the paint they were using was safe for the baby.

"Thank you, Finn." I said once the crib was done.

"Well… I figured I'm some sort of uncle right? I have to make sure she's alright and stuff. 'Cause that's what uncles do."

It was nice to know that there were no hard feelings between us after everything. The last few months my priorities had shifted and I didn't feel the need to pursue him any longer. I had more important things to worry about. Once I was able to stop thinking about him all the time, I realized that Finn and I were never meant to be and could close that chapter in my life.

Now, my life revolved around Leah. As long as Leah's needs were meet that's all that really mattered to me at the moment, everything else was starting to take second place in my life.

My dads sit there, speechless after everything had been said. They looked at each other, they looked at me, then Leah and back at each other.

"I've been digging into my savings to pay for a lot of her things. I've looked this stuff up and I figure that I have enough money saved up to take care of Leah's needs until I'm out of school. There is a daycare program outside the school, they will take care of Leah while I'm in school all I have to do is go over there while on my study period and during lunch. As long as I keep up my GPA, I'm eligible…" I said, handing my dads the pamphlet that Quinn had brought over earlier during the week. "I'm going to sign her up as soon as I can."

"And… Mr. Shue has already said that he'll be more than happy to keep an eye on Leah when we're preforming. But I'm still not sure that I am comfortable with the idea of going back fully into Glee at the moment. There is a lot of traveling and back and forth. I may decide that staying in the background and offering my expertise might be the best arrangement for the situation."

I closed my mouth to give my dads a moment to say something.

Daddy looked over to Dad then back at me, "You named her Leah?" Dad asked.

"It fit. Remember what you said about my name? Coming from the bible? It was the only name I could come up with that went with the story. I couldn't recall if Rachel had any daughters, only Joseph and Benjamin."

"Rachel…" Dad said. "I'm not sure you've thought all this through. At least not completely."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was sure I had thought everything through.

"First off, there is no record of her birth. Things like this have to be recorded. She needs a birth certificate, a social security number. Has she even seen a doctor yet?"

"Santana's father is a pediatrician. He looked her over for us two days ago. Gave her a clean bill of health."

Dad shook his head. "That's not the same. She needs immunizations. Do you realize how sick she could have gotten if you had taken her out and she caught any number of illnesses that she should have been given a shot for nearly two weeks ago? What if all those people coming to visit had something on them?"

My mouth opened, but I couldn't think of a reply so I just closed it.

"There are tests that they do on babies. You're Jewish… What about Tay-Sachs? Remember Leon's baby? You don't even know if you're a carrier and from what I can tell… You don't know anything about her father what if he's Jewish or a carrier?"

My shoulders shrunk as I remembered what happened a few years ago with my cousin's baby. They had to test for some genetic disease that ran in our family. I had told Quinn about it last year, how could I have completely forgotten that it even existed?

"Rachel…" Daddy started. "Here's probably the best way to handle this…"

I clinched my jaw, praying that the next words out of his mouth were not going to be anything on giving Leah up. I had already grown attached, she was already my daughter. I couldn't give her up now, not after everything.

"We're going to call Dr. Lopez… Set up an appointment for Leah, where he can do all the blood tests and give Leah her shots. A little more than a look over. Then we'll make an appointment for you at a colleague of mine to make sure that you're healing properly. If you're going to take care of that little girl you need to be healthy as well. Dad will see about registering her birth when he goes into his office tomorrow."

"You're not going to make me give her away?"

"Are you SURE this is what you want? This means your childhood is officially over, there won't get going back. Leah's going to have to be number one now, that's all there is too it."

"It's going to be hard… I know that. I don't care about Broadway or stupid awards anymore. Don't get me wrong, they were very achievable goals for me, but… I don't feel as strongly about them as I did. I'll still go to college, just not right out of high school. I am fully aware that things will have to be put off for a while… But there's really nothing else I want to do right now, but take care of my daughter… By any means necessary."

Daddy nodded. "I'm not going to lie to you. And I think I speak for your dad when I say this… But honestly we don't like it. Of all the ways you could have handled this… I can't think of anything worse than the way you did. You put your life in danger; you put Leah's life in danger. Do you understand the trouble that your friends could have gotten in if something had gone wrong?"

I shook my head. The question that Daddy asked wasn't really one that was meant to be answered.

Dad continued Daddy's speech. "We are both deeply disappointed in you. Not just because you were stupid and got pregnant, but in the fact that for some reason you felt that you come to us the one time that you truly needed your family the most. Have we ever done anything to you to make you feel that we would ever turn our backs on you?"

"No, sir…" I answered.

"Then why?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to disappoint you, I guess. I was embarrassed."

"We would have gotten over it. Look at her, she's beautiful. I don't know about your Daddy but I'm already won over by her charm."

I couldn't help but smile just a little at Dad's words.

"Rachel… Your Dad and I are just hurt that you felt the way you did… You understand that, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good… Now I think you can agree when I say that you should hand the baby over right now, so we can make up for the first weeks of her life that we missed because of your childishness."

I grinned as the last of Daddy's words were said. I stood up and handed Leah to my daddy's outstretched arms. Dad and Daddy cooed over Leah for about a minute before she started to move her head around and cry, in a demand to be fed.

"I'm going to go and…" I gestured toward the kitchen.

As I walked into the kitchen to make Leah's bottle I heard Daddy say, "Lord help us all… She's going to be just like her mother…"

(The next chapter will finish everything. I have an idea as to what I want to do for the next part of this story but I'm still now sure if I should go on. I also have a few more stories in my head that I want to write out, one longer then the other. Let me know what you want your opinions are, plz?)


	12. Into the Unknown

(A/N: This is the last chapter of this story. But it can go on. R/R and let me know what you think should happen.

Disclaimer: I've spent 12 chapters explaining how I don't own it. I still don't.)

The next four weeks went by in a blur. Leah was given a complete bill of health by Dr. Lopez. There wasn't anything wrong with her what so ever.

My Dads got to take her to Temple and show off their brand new granddaughter, proud as any grandfather could be. Ms. Puckerman easily stepped in to absorb some of their attention by announcing that she, of course, would be fulfilling the part of Nanna. I swear I saw Ms. Puckerman tear up when I asked her if Leah could call her Nanna because she was the closest thing to one that Leah will ever get.

Noah stepped into the role of world's greatest uncle. At least that was the name he had given himself. Noah had become fiercely protective of Leah in the few short weeks. Noah would constantly remind his sister to wash her hands before touching the baby or any of Leah's things.

I wasn't able to actually return to school until Leah was almost six weeks old. The four weeks I had missed, my teachers had allowed me to do my school work at home and allow someone from Glee to turn in the work. Usually it was Santana, who was at my house nearly every day after school.

Santana used my homework as an excuse to come over and spoil Leah rotten. Santana's spoiling gave me a chance to actually do the homework I needed to do so that my grades wouldn't fall too low during my absence.

Leah and I even fell into our own pattern. Which there really never really a pattern, it mainly consisted of her crying when she wanted something, and I getting up to cater to all her wants.

The Friday before I was due back in school I went to get a book that I had left in my locker. I had timed it so that I could attend an after school Glee meeting. The truth was I was sick of being cooped up in that house. I wanted to get out and see my friends; the book was really just an excuse. There was also something very important that I needed to accomplish that I felt could only be done during this meeting.

I carried Leah into the hallway, which was nearly deserted by now. It was Friday, and nearly everyone who didn't have after school club meetings left as soon as possible. I set Leah's car seat by my locker and opened it, retrieved my book and shut the locker.

I turned around and saw nothing but a red, fuzzy jacket. After taking a couple steps back as well as reaching for Leah's car seat handle I realized that it was Azimo and in his hands a slushie.

My first reaction was to flinch and get ready for the slushie facial I was about to receive. My first thought was rather or not he would have the decency to not slushie me while my almost 4 week old daughter was in the car seat about a foot away.

"Here, hold this…" He said softly.

I looked at him confused and reached for the slushie he was offering. Then he reached for the car seat, and I tightened my grip on it. He wouldn't slushie an infant would he?

"Now… I get the whole hormonal mama bear, cub thing. But just stay calm, I just want to look."

I released the grip on the car seat and Azimo turned lifted it up. He removed the blanket that was covering the car seat. Azimo's bottom lip stuck out a few inches, he nodded. Azimo handed the car seat back to me.

Azimo looked around the hallway, removed a small stuffed yellow bunny from his pocket.

"Here…" I sort of just looked at him, confused beyond words at the moment. He quickly pulled the tag off the bunny's ear and held it back toward me. "My mom wants to know when will be the best time to bring some stuff she has. She works for your dad and all…" Azimo placed the bunny in Leah's car seat.

"Um… Whenever. I should be home by 6."

Azimo nodded. He started to walk away and I realized I still had his slushie in my hand.

"Don't forget this." Against my better judgment I handed him back the slushie.

"Keep it."

"You know… Honestly, I really don't like them all that much anymore."

Azimo took the slushie. "Take care… Cute kid."

Azimo turned away from me took a few steps, and then continued along the hallway with his usual swagger. I turned away and started back toward the choir room.

"Oh… My… GAWD!" I heard after a few seconds. I turned around and Azimo was standing next to a kid whose name may have been Brant who was covered now in head to toe in slushie.

"How rude of my slushie to be in your path!" Azimo's arms were flailing around acting overly dramatic. "I mean the NERVE! Can someone please get this poor soul a towel? The nerve!"

Azimo slapped the kid's shoulder and walked off. I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help but giggle. I had been at the business end of many slushie facials, but at least this time… It wasn't me.

I turned and walked into the choir room.

"Hello!" I said cheerfully.

"Rachel?" Mr. Shue asked. "You weren't supposed to be back until Monday."

"I know… But I was getting a really bad case of cabin fever. I wanted to get out for a little while…"

For the first time in a long time I felt like my old self again. Back in the room where I spent so much time being… Just me.

I walked over to the piano and set Leah's car seat on top of it. "Of course, I'm grounded until the end of time… Or the rest of the year, whichever comes first… I was down to a few options on how to get out of the house."

I lifted up my book to show what I was referring to. "But most importantly… I wanted to formally introduce everyone to the newest member of the New Directions family… Leah Madeline Berry!"

I removed the blanket covering Leah's car seat. A few members like Mike, Sam and Lauren, whom I wasn't really close to hadn't had the chance to come by and see Leah.

"I gave her grandparents the honor of giving her a middle name…" I rolled my eyes remembering the drama that caused between my dads and Ms. Puckerman. "Finally after much debate and quite possibly bloodshed, they came up with a fitting middle name."

"Actually…" Noah added. "My Ma threatened to shank them with her knitting needles if they didn't go with her choice."

I nodded. "There is one thing though. A little formality that I would like to get out of the way…"

"Traditionally, Jews don't have godparents. We have… A Sandek. It's a role that is similar to a godparent… In a way that this person would take over the role of bringing up the child properly if I was to fail or ever be unable to do so… There is nothing formal and it's really just a name. It's the same person who, had Leah been a boy, bring the baby into the Temple for circumcision. Anyway… Santana, I would be honored if you would take up that role for me."

All eyes turned Santana.

"Wait? What?" Santana looked around confused.

"You're the only reason she's here with me right now… If you hadn't of showed up when you did, things wouldn't have turned out like they did. You've done so much for me and Leah… There is no way that I can ever repay you. I don't mean the things you buy for her… I mean coming by and keeping her busy so I can do my school work. Staying the whole first week with me making sure that we were alright… If it wasn't for you, I don't even want to think about what would have happened. You stood behind me no matter what choices I made. I wouldn't have answered the door by the time Quinn came over. You called Brittany, Leah would have probably starved to death if it wasn't for you. And I'm not being dramatic when I say that."

I could see Santana's eyes starting to water up. "Everything that Leah will be now, it's all because of you. Someone once told me that things happen for a reason… God has a plan for us. And no matter what that plan goes the way it's meant to be. And you showing up and staying when you did…"

I felt my eyes start to water I took a moment to collect myself by shrugging my shoulders. "I know that of all the people I am acquainted with… That you are the most qualified to set Leah on whatever pathway she's supposed to be on. And I am sure that you are supposed to be a part of her life just as much as me, my dads or anyone else."

Santana looked around at every one, a smile came to her face and she nodded. Santana came down and took Leah out of her car seat. "That's right… Cause you know I'll make a kick ass… Whatever word you just used…"

While Santana's attention was on Leah I faced everyone else. "Also… The role isn't limited to gender or the number of people I can choose. So…"

"But I'm still number one right?" Santana asked.

"Yes, Santana… You'll always be number one."

"Hell yeah. You bitches better recognize who's in charge here."

"Santana… Language." Mr. Shue warned.

"Sorry… I'm just… Excited or whatever."

Mr. Shue cleared his throat. "Santana… Why don't you and Puck preform the song you've been working on for the assignment? I'm sure Rachel would enjoy seeing it."

Santana nodded and I was handed Leah. Mr. Shue led me to one of the chairs and I sit down with Leah sitting up facing the performance.

Brad started to play the opening to "Heaven" on the piano. Santana had the first part, which was more like the D.J. Sammy slower version of the song. When it came to Noah's turn the music was more like the original Bryan Adams version with the guitar and drums. When the song ended it went back to just the piano and the two of them singing together.

It was the only time in my memory that I couldn't find a way to critique a performance. If it had any flaws I couldn't find a single one.

After Santana and Noah finished, Santana took Leah from me and sit in the back with Brittany, Tina and Quinn. Mr. Shue called up Finn and Tina. When they did a mash up the different versions of "American Pie" I realized the details of the assignment. They were to pick a song with a cover and mash the two songs up. Sam and Artie mashed up "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder and Jack Ingram.

Quinn and Brittany came up.

"The song we chose…" Quinn explained, "There really isn't much difference between the original and cover. But we both really wanted to do it, so…"

"You can just deal with it." Brittany smiled smugly finished for Quinn. Brittany looked at Quinn. "That's what you said."

"But you weren't supposed to tell them that."

"It's not like we're getting a grade for this."

"Let's just start the song, shall we?"

Quinn nodded to the drummer from the Jazz band. The drummer started with what has got to be the most unique drum solo to ever start a song. Of all the songs the Twisted Sister/Bif Naked song, "We're Not Gonna Take It" would have been the last song I would expect the girl's to sing. But sing it they did, and did well.

I looked behind me and looked up at Leah in Santana's arms. The world didn't seem so bleak anymore. Leah had shown me that my life wasn't as hard as I made it out to be. There would always be problems, but they didn't seem so daunting. Last year things that seemed like life or death like solos and set lists were just small problems that could be handed off to someone else. Instead of trying to plan every detail, Leah taught me the hard way that nothing goes according to plan. That I should take life one moment at a time because you will never really know what is really going to happen next.

(A/N: That's all folks... Hope you enjoyed it!)


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